Explosive charge



Jan. 2, 1923.

J. R. HOLRAN EXPLOSIVE CHARGE.

FILED JAN. 6. 1921.

ami o/ m To all whom it may cancer n stamens. a, 1923,

. imei JOHN a. Eurasia, or naxnwoon'ortrd nosrvn can, a

' Application filed January 6, 192 1. Berle 171%. 48534.1 I

Be it known that I, JOHN R. HOLRAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lakewood, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Explosive Charges, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained, and the best mode in whichI have contemplated applying that principle'so as to distinguish it il'pm other inventions.

or use in blasting operations wherein the charge is placed in surface contact with the objects, for example a bowlder or .large block of stone which is to be separated onfa predetermined line of cleavage or to be shat-'- tered into fragments of a size which can beclosely approximated; Ordinarily, dynamite is employed in such operations in the form of the familiar cylindrical cartridges in which it is regularly furnished. Thus applied for such an operation, in' which thev explosive cannot be confined, it is usual to place a layer of mud around one or more sticks of dynamite thus laid on the' face of the object, the idea being that this increases the shattering effect of the explosion. For the blasting purposes above referred -to and such analogous uses as will be apparent, I have devised a "novel form of container wherein a dead air s ace is provided between the main body of;

t e explosive charge and' the surface of the object to which the explosive is to be a plied;

These containers are of several di erent kinds, the design being varied according to the special usev to which the explosive is to be put. In each of them, however, the'dead air space is utilized, and practical tests have demonstrated that a shattering or breaking,

effect of about thirty percent (30 percent) or more above that obtained from an equal ;amou nt of explosive of the usual'form is secured.' The rim of the container -rests L against the surface of. the object and encloses the dead air s ace which isformed between the surface '0 the object and the slightly resent improvements relate more artic arly to an explosive charge designed tiona-l time in advance of the blow; upon" the remaining portion. However, the explanation ofithe exact method by which-the effect is secured is immaterial so lon "as thesu of my explosive charge is'known' and the construction and methods employed by me v periority of the results-obtaine by "the use are clearly dilferentiated from-"the methods.

and explosive containers heretofore used. To

-. the accomplishment of "the foregoing and'jre? lated ends, said inventirf gj,1 then, consists of the means hereinafter y described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

- The annexed drawing and the following description set forth but several of. the vanous ways in whichthe principleof the in-'--.

,vention may be employed.

In said annexed drawin Figure 1 is a sectional.side'elevation of a standard form of my" improved explosive charge or container; Figs. 2, 2 and 3 are central vertical sectional views-illustrating '4' and -5 modified forms of the same;

the base are detail sectional views show portion and the ignition point .we ,member respectively; Fig. 6 is a front elevation of still another modified formof the device;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the ap-'.

plication o the form of my device illustrated in Figure 6 to the side of a large block of stone whichit is desired to' shatter; and Fig.

8 'is a" front elevation .showing the object. operated on in section and showing .two of my containers of the form illustrated in Figure 6 applied to the opposite sides .of said object, with a view to producing a fracture along apredetermined line of cleavage.

Whichever of 'the several forms of container thus illustrated be utilized, the ma-,

terial of whichsuch container is 'madeis a 1 the present invention, so-long as the container has the air space at the base thereoL-and carries a charge sufiicient to reactupon such matter of indifference, forming-no part of 1 space as has been described above. Thus,f

such container may be made of cloth, fabric, paper, paste board, wood or metal, or a combination. of twoor more such materials, or'- maybe of wholly frangible :material or otherwise. In generalpthe form of my improved container may be varied to suit the purposefor which the charge is who used.

Thus, as shown in Fig. 1, the container 1 is I flat at its base and dome-shaped as to its upper portion, while in Figs. 2 and 3, the upper portion has a fiat op n m yb ytov lindrical or of any other form desired. A

very effective form of container, as shown in Fig. 3, is one having an explosive chamber of elliptical cross-section, supported about its central periphery by a cylindrical wall portion.

In Fig. 6, a cylindrical container having a flat top and corrugatedsides is 1llustrated, the corrugations assisting in the .proper positioning of the container against 10" the sides of an object, as is illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, described more fully later. It

is to be understood that the several dimenpurpose in hand. In particular, the dead air space, or striking gap, as I prefer to term the same, 'at the bottom end of the container, may be varied in shape and volume to secure different effects.

As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 2 and 3 particularly, the body of the container 1 is provided centrally of its upper side with an aperture 2, through which the fuse or detonating cap is inserted, and one or more similar apertures similarly closed may also be provided in the lateral wall of the container, as shown in Fig. 2, for a purpose presently to be explained. When a plurality of such apertures are provided in the side, they are preferably equidistantly spaced about the container body. A closure 3 for these apertures is provided, which consists of a web 4 of rubber, paper or any relatively easily puncturable material of such nature that it will afford sufficient friction when punctured to hold a cap or fuse in place, and having an edge conformation that permits it to be orimped upon the edges of such aperture. The base of the body portion is provided with a fold or bead 5, depending upon the material used, to strengthen it at this point and permit of the tight engagement therewith of the base portion.

In the forms shown in Figs..1, 2 and 3, the base portion 6 of the container is removable, and comprises a rim portion 7 and a central portion 8, which latter, as illustrated in detail in Fig. 4, may have the rim portion formed about the central portion by having the said material of which it is constructed bent backwardly upon itself. as shownat 9, for a short distance, and then outwardly parallel to the bottom, as shown at 10, of

said central portion, and then toward the observer, asshown at 11, at its outer edge to a distance equal to the depth of the bent back portion referred to. Within the channeled portion of the rim formed as above described, is then inserted a resilient member 12 of rubber or similar material, which is designed to createfriction on the bottom of the container so as to tend-to keep the latter from sliding or slipping when placed on a smooth slanting surface.

ing means 16, which, as illustrated in Figs.

7 and 8, may be used to position the charge of the container at any desired location upon the side of the object to be operated upon. In the form shown in Fig. 3 an explosive containing chamber 17 of elliptical cross-- section is supported about its central periphery by a cylindrical wall portion 18 and this provides an air space 19 of smaller vertical depth centrally than at its marginal portions. To form this container I use a cylindrical member 20 having a dome-shaped top provided centrally with a charge inserting aperture about which is formed an upstanding sleeve or collar 23 provided with screw threads,-ove'r which is adapted to be engaged' a cap 24. The cap is provided centrally with a charge igniting aperture provided with a closure of the character already described. lVithin the base of the top member I telescope an inner member 21 having a cylindrical body to fit closely the cylindrical portion of the outer member. The

top of this section is provided with a depressed portion 22 of a curvature to correspond with the dome-shaped top of the outer section and together therewith to form the explosive containing chamber of elliptical cross-section 17. The lower edge of the inner section is provided with an outwardly turned beading 13 within which the lower edge of the outer section is tightly engaged.

My. invention is of particular value in separating large blocks of stone, which have been previously quarried, into smaller blocks of a size which can be predetermined with a reasonable degree of accuracy. Where a very large block is to be thus reduced in size, it is usual to search for some natural line of cleavage is the material and place a number of cartridges, preferably of the design shown in Fig. 6, against the stone on the line of cleavage referred to. In this way, the result desired can be attained with the use of a minimum amount of powder.

In any of the forms illustrated, the charge required for a particular amount of work is very much smaller than that necessary for an equivalent result by other means. 'While surface blasting has been particularly referred to in this description, it is not intended to imply limitation in the use of this cartridge for any blasting operation wherein it would be effective. Thus, a slot or channel-way may be found in the native bed,

, plosive element, -a palr gards the mechanism or in concrete or other material which it is desired to dislodge, and cartridges embodying my principle of a striking gap may be made of suitable form for use in such situation. Furthermore, by use of the lateral apertures in the body of the container fuses loaded with T. N. T or equivalent high explosive of great velocity, may be used to connect a plurality of charges, either closely spaced or spaced more or less remotely from each other, and all be caused to explode.

practically instantaneously from a single point. a I

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as reherein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out tinctly claim as my invention 1. ,An explosive charge comprising an explosive element, a container for the explosive element having one face ofsubstantial area, and means associated with said'container spacing said face of the explosive charge from the object to which it is to be applied.

2. An explosive charge for surface blasting comprising an explosive element, and a container for said element having a flat face of substantial area and having structural members spacing said face of the explosive element from the object to which it isto be applied.

and dis- 3. An explosive charge for surface blast-' ing comprising an explosive element, a' container therefor and an air confining means adjacent a face of said container of substantial area.

4. An explosive charge comprising an exof telescopic members of greater horizontal than vertical ex tent for supporting said explosive element,

one of said members'having a portion forming the upper element, of an explosive contaming chamber and the other of said members forming the lower element of the-explosive containing chamber and the upper member of an air confining means.

5. An explosive charge comprising an ex-' plosive element, a pair of telescopic members for supporting said explosive element,

one of said members having a portion forming'the upper element of an explosive containing chamber, the other of said members forming the lower element of the explosive containing chamber and the upper member of an air confining means, and a contact rim upon one of. said members adapted to be placed closely against the object to be shattered.

6. An explosive charge comprising an explosive element, a pair of telescopic memmembers for supporting said explosive element,

containing chamberand the upper member of an air confining means, and a contact rim of elastic material upon one of said-members adapted to 'be placed closely against the object to be shattered.

7 An explosive charge comprising an .ex-

plosive element and a pair of telescopic said explosive element, one of said members having a. domelike end and a cylindrical body portion, the

other of said members having an inverted dome-like end and a cylindrical body portion of a size to fit within the cylindrical body first mentioned thereby providing an explosive receiving chamber and a re-inforced supporting wall forming a dead air space adjacent said explosive receiving chamber.

8. An explosive cha ge comprising an explosive element arfi inner and outer members in telescopic engagement for supporting said explosive element, one of said members having a done-like end and a cylindrical body portion, bers having-an inverted dome-like end and a cylindrical body portion, the lower edge of said inner member being upwardly turnedl lower edge of the to closely engage the outer member.

9. An explosive charge comprising an explosive element and inner and outer members in telescopic engagement for supporting said explosive element, one of said members having a dome-like end and a cylindrical body portion, the other of said members having an inverted dome-like end, a cylindrical body portion, and an explosive ignition aperture centrally of said domelike portion.

10. An explosive charge comprising an .explosive element and inner and ,outer memthe other of said members in telescopic engagement for supporting one of said members having a dome-like end and a cylindrical body portion, having an inverted dome-like end, a cylindrical bodyportion, an explosive ignition aperture centrally of said dome-like portion, and'an easily perforable closure for said ignition aperture.

11. A closure for an ignition aperture of an explosive container comprising a weblike member of easily perforable material having a channeled peripheral portion adapted to be crimped upon the edges about said ignition aperture.

JOHN R. HOLRAN.

the'other of said members Signed by-me, this 3rd day of January, 

